Through the Dark
by MarMar13x
Summary: In hindsight, starting a casual relationship with James Potter probably wasn't the greatest idea. But she needed an outlet to cope with her mother's death, and he needed a distraction from the ever-so-stubborn Lily Evans. What Ember certainly didn't expect was the arrival of an added complication in the form of a grey-eyed heartbreaker by the name of Sirius Black. SB/OC JP
1. Chapter One

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of the Harry Potter characters, nor the world itself. I only own the characters I have created.**

 **Announcement: I'm actually incredibly excited for this story. I usually post stories with no plans for future chapters, but this one is planned out in almost its entirety. I have a couple of chapters written too, and it gets a** ** _lot_** **juicier as the story goes on. I hope you guys enjoy it!**

* * *

 **September 1** **st** **, 1975**

The Great Hall looked exactly as it did 6 years ago when Ember first stepped through the threshold for her Sorting ceremony. It never ceased to amaze her; the beauty of it all. The ceiling, enchanted to mimic the weather outside, gleamed stunningly above them – the sky, a mixture of blues and purples with a hint of a pink undertone, was the perfect backdrop for the hundreds of stars (most likely charmed to shine stronger in the display within the Hall) littering against the kaleidoscope of colours. Hogwarts, in its entirety, was simply breathtaking. Year by year, it was becoming harder and harder for Ember to leave the confines of the magical castle she came to call _home._

Sighing as she glanced around the room as students filled in excitedly, chatting with their friends after the long summer holidays, a small smile spread across Ember's face, and she felt the weight that had been suffocating her chest for nearly four weeks lifting slightly.

"Well isn't this a sight to see? A beautiful smile on an absolutely _stunning_ girl!" Rolling her eyes with a huff, Ember spun around in her seat on the far end of the Gryffindor table and faced the man that just spoke.

"James darling," Ember began with a glare, "you can drop the flattery act, okay? I'm _fine."_

At her words, the grin that was previously stretched upon his lips dropped and he ran a hand nervously through his already dishevelled hair. Exhaling, he looked towards the right where the rest of his friends sat, all staring intently their way, before quickly sliding into the empty seat beside her. "Are you really okay, though, Em? It's only been a few weeks, and this is _literally_ the first smile I've seen from you since it happened."

When he grabbed her hand and gave it a comforting sqeeze, Ember dropped the pointed eyes she was sending his way and replaced the sour look on her face with a small smile. "I know you're concerned, Jamie, but I'm not going to get over it overnight, you know. My mum _died_ – right in front of me, no less." Reaching for his arm, she wrapped herself around it and leaned in. "Don't get me wrong, I truly, _truly_ appreciate your concern, Jamie, but it's going to take a while for me to regain my bearings."

"I know," He nodded in understanding, "But let me at least help you through this. We've known each other practically since birth, Em. I've seen you buck naked, for Merlin's sake!"

Ember rolled her eyes again, shoving him away from her with a laugh, "We were, like, 3 years old, you daft git. That doesn't really count."

"Whatever you say," He replied with a smirk, opening his mouth to say something else, but immediately closing it shut as his eyes landed on something behind her. "Oh, um – Evans, hey! I hope your summer was good?"

"My summer was just fine, Potter." Lily replied dryly as she took her seat beside Ember. Turning to her whilst entirely ignoring James' presence, Lily groaned as she embarked on a rant about incompetent prefects and their lack of initiative, even if it was just the first day back.

As Ember half-heartedly listened to Lily's impassioned triad, she turned to a dejected James with an apologetic shrug. Waving her off dismissively, he promptly walked away, only to plop down next to Sirius Black a few seats down from where Ember and Lily sat, who immediately turned to him with what Ember undoubtedly knew were questions regarding her well-being.

Lily's speech came to an equally impassioned end, and Ember, having nodded along to whatever it is she had been rambling about for the last minute yet hardly listening, gave Lily a reassuring pat on the shoulder. Not knowing what to say, she settled on a simple, "I'm sure everything will work out just fine, Lils." At the other girl's relieved smile and uplifted posture, Ember was pleased to know she hadn't said the wrong thing.

"So, where are Marlene and Alice? They were with us in the carriages, but I lost track of them on the trek up to the castle."

"Marlene's probably already in a broom closet seducing her next victim," Lily said with a roll of her eyes, but an amused smile lit up her face despite the judgemental comment. "And Alice is practically attached to Frank's lips at the moment."

Lily gestured a few seats to the right of their location, and they both grimaced in unison at the sight of the heated display their roommate and fellow House member were broadcasting to the entire student body.

Their disgusted stares were suddenly interrupted when Professor Dumbledore cleared his throat from the podium at the front of the room, and all attention immediately diverted to him as silence descended upon the Hall, listening intently as the Headmaster welcomed the new and returning students to Hogwarts.

And with a small sigh of content, Ember drifted back into her thoughts. Being back here - the home where she'd made lifelong friends, learned the true meaning of magic, and felt real happiness in every corner of the dreamlike castle – was _exactly_ what she needed.

Not long after, students began to shuffle out of the Great Hall towards their respective common rooms to unwind from the long journey on the Hogwarts Express.

Settling down on the armchair by the fire, Ember and Lily, now accompanied by Marlene and Alice, jumped right into their stories of the past summer, Ember sitting in silence because, really, what was there for her to share other than what they already knew of?

As Ember listened to Marlene's quite detailed trip to the Bahamas, where she met all sorts of exotic boys while drinking a copious amount of alcohol by the serene beaches of the Island, her eyes drifted to the moving figures of the Marauders as they headed towards the staircase leading up to the boys' Sixth Year dormitory, whispering furtively to each other with mischief written all over their faces.

With a sigh, Ember stood up from the couch, interrupting Marlene's _riveting_ account of her Bahamian adventures to inform them that she'd be right back, and followed behind the suspicious group of boys.

Reaching the sixth floor landing where their dormitory resided, Ember rapped lightly on the door before letting herself in. "So what are you troublemakers up to, now?"

Their conversation halted as they swivelled around to see Ember sauntering into the room and plopping herself down on Sirius's bed beside him. The boy in question turned to her with a roguish smirk on his face and winked, "Wouldn't you like to know, love."

Shoving his shoulder, she chuckled with a shake of her head, "If I didn't know you boys any better, I'd think you're planning a little Welcome Back soiree. Am I right?"

"That you are, Miss Fawley," Remus responded with a smirk, throwing himself down on his bed with a thump.

"It's tradition, after all." Peter piped up from his position across the room with a cheeky smile on his face.

"Of course. I wouldn't expect any less of you miscreants." Ember grinned. "A good party is _exactly_ what I need to get my mind off all the… _unpleasantries_ of the summer."

Silence suddenly filled the air as they all faced her, failing to mask the look of concern on their faces.

"So, how've you been, princess?" Sirius asked quietly, turning to face her from his lain position on the bed behind her.

"I'm fine," She huffed, ignoring the ever-so-annoying pet name Sirius often used to annoy her. She stiffened at the dubious looks they gave her. "Really! Can everyone just stop acting like I'm about to break into a million pieces? It was just a…minor setback in my life, and I don't plan on letting it ruin my Sixth year. So let's just drop it, yes?"

The four men nodded quickly in acquisition, but no one said a word.

Rolling her eyes, Ember pouted, "Well, you guys are a lot more boring than I remembered you to be." At the sounds of indignation that s`~~~~~uddenly erupted around the room, she laughed loudly and continued, "now, will someone fill me on this _oh so fabulous_ party the famous Marauders are planning? I'm in desperate need for some Firewhiskey."

"Well, I'll leave you in the hands of these fine lads to bring you up to date. I'm jumping in for a quick shower!" James announced, hopping off his bed and heading towards the washroom with a towel in hand.

Turning expectantly towards the remaining three, Ember gave them a pointed look with a meaningful smile on her face as she folded her hands in her lap, waiting.

Sirius sighed, pulling himself up into a seated position, "Okay, so, since we start classes tomorrow, the party won't be happening until next weekend. The plan is to find…"

They launched into the elaborate plan that were to take place the following Friday in the Room of Requirement. Because the party was happening past curfew, the trickiest part of actually pulling it off was the slight fact that it would be quite difficult sneaking people out into the halls without running the risk of getting caught.

Twenty minutes later, the foursome were still brainstorming ways to avoid detection when James stepped out, dripping wet with a towel wrapped around his waist.

Giving Ember an expectant smile, he simply said, "Pillow."

Knowing exactly what he meant due to the many, _many_ hours spent in their dorm, Ember dropped down on her back and pressed Sirius's pillow over her eyes, but she couldn't help but bring back the conversation they had earlier by commenting with a cheeky smile, "Nothing I haven't seen before."

They kept up casual conversation as James got dressed, when Sirius amusedly asked, "Something wrong with your hand, there, Prongs? Is it sore from all the… _workouts_ you've been doing?"

Ember's eyebrows shot up to her forehead from under the pillow, and a small chuckle escaped.

"Shove off, Pads," James grumbled, "I haven't gotten any action in nearly five months. Can you blame me?"

"You and me, both," Ember mumbled quietly to herself with a frustrated sigh.

However, her comment wasn't as quiet as she'd originally thought, because a noticeable silence filled the room before Sirius barked out a laugh.

"What was that, princess? Didn't quite catch what you mumbled under there." Ember felt her face heat up when she heard the amused and slightly suggestive lilt in his voice.

"Shove off, Black." She grumbled, echoing James's earlier words and smothering herself even further with the pillow.

Laughing, James pulled the pillow off her face and threw it onto the bed, "I'm decent now, although I wonder if maybe you were hoping to get a little peek. It seems _someone_ is sexually frustrated, and I'm not referring to myself!"

Remus, Peter, and Sirius roared with laughter as James beamed at Ember with a joking glint in his eyes.

Fighting off the deep embarrassment she felt shudder through her body, Ember huffed in annoyance. "Oh, so it's okay for James to admit he's a little horndog, but when I say something, suddenly I'm the laughing stock of the night?"

Sirius nudged her side with his foot as he chuckled, giving her a teasing smile, "Nothing wrong with admitting you're in need of a good shag, princess. Just didn't know you had it in you." He said with a wink.

"Well," Ember grumbled exasperatedly as she hopped to her feet, but a small, amused smile played on her lips, and turned to Sirius, "I guess you just don't know me all that well, then, Black. I'm just _full_ of surprises." And with a playful wink and a wave in their general direction, she twirled around and sauntered out of the room, leaving behind a shocked but pleased group of boys watching in her wake.

"So what kind of trouble are _Potter_ and _Black_ getting into?" Lily questioned the moment Ember rejoined their group, spitting out their names as though disgusted to even utter them.

Ember chuckled uncomfortably, knowing that even after 6 years of friendship Lily still disapproved of Ember's association with the menaces of Hogwarts. Clearing her throat, Ember mumbled, "Just a little…gathering they're planning for the coming weekend at the Room of Requirement."

* * *

"A gathering, huh?" Lily growled in Ember's ear as they stood in the entrance of the Room of Requirement, glowering at the large crowd of people taking over the ballroom-esque space holding cups that were most _certainly_ home to some form of alcoholic beverage. Loud music blared in the background. A large, messily scripted banner fell from the wall in the back, spelling out the words: _Welcome Back!_

Ember turned to Lily with a shrug, "Don't look at me, I had nothing to do with this!"

Lily glared in return, "Yes, but you _enabled_ them, and in my books that means you're just as guilty for this… this _debacle!_ " She threw her hands in the air in annoyance.

Laughing from Lily's left, Marlene threw an arm around the redhead's shoulders and shook her playfully, "Drop the Prefect act for _one night,_ Lils and just enjoy yourself!"

"Yeah!" Alice piped up from where she stood next to Ember, "This is our second to last year at Hogwarts. Loosen up just this once, it'll be fun!"

The three girls watched as a conflict of emotions flittered across the stubborn Prefect's face before she finally settled on resignation. " _Fine._ But the next party that's happening, I am _shutting down._ "

Ember, Alice, and Marlene glanced at each other before nodding, "We'll take it!" Ember laughed, grabbing a hold of Lily's hand and dragging her into the throng of people towards where she knew the beverage table was set up.

"Ah, ladies!" Peter called as he stood behind the table, bottle in hand. Setting it down on the table amongst the many bottles that littered its surface, he gestured widely to the selection with a proud smile on his face. "Pick your poison. We have an ample amount of butterbeer, Firewhiskey – for those of you brave enough to suffer its wrath -, muggle Whiskey, Vodka, and a bottle of…wine?" Peter glanced down at the bottle with a curious look on his face, muttering, "Wonder where that came from."

"I think I'm feeling brave enough for some Firewhiskey tonight, Pete. Fix me a drink?" Ember asked.

She could feel the stares of her friends, knowing that they were probably questioning whether this was an act of rebellion in response to her mother's death, but chose to ignore it as she waited patiently for Peter to fill up the red cup and hand it to her.

"Well, ladies, I'm going to go mingle. Come find me later!" With a quick spin, Ember disappeared through the throng of students.

Alice turned to Marlene, worrying her lip as she asked, "D'you think she's doing okay?"

Marlene pursed her lips sadly, "She's going through a tough time. Maybe, just for tonight, she just needs to let loose a little and forget. She'll be fine, don't worry."

The three girls requested their drink of choice, Lily settling for a simple butterbeer on the pretense of being the only responsible Prefect to keep her wits about her for the night – especially after spotting Remus and a couple of Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff Prefects with suspicious looking drinks in hand – and then turned away to join the party.

A decent amount of time had passed when Ember finally ditched the dreadfully boring conversation she was having with Evan Pretsons, a Seventh year Ravenclaw, about the recent Bill that passed through the Wizengamot regarding house elf rights. Spotting James sitting on an armchair in the corner nursing an entire bottle of Firewhiskey in hand with a grim look on his face, she marched forward in his direction.

"Why is a handsome man like you sulking in the corner all by your lonesome?" She inquired teasingly as she perched on the arm of the chair, nudging his shoulder with her own.

James shrugged, giving her a small smile. "Just thinking."

Ember's eyebrows shot up in question, "Thinking about what?"

When she received no response, she glanced down and noticed that his eyes were fixated elsewhere, a glower darkening his face. Following his line of sight, Ember deflated with a sigh. Lily, with her back against a wall and a bottle of Butterbeer in hand, was blatantly flirting with Fabian Prewett, a Gryffindor student in his final year. "Come on, Jamie. You can't keep obsessing over Lily. You have to move on at some point."

"I know," He sighed sadly, "Just wish she'd give me a chance, that's all."

Throwing a comforting arm around his shoulder, Ember gave him a soothing squeeze. "Want to get out of here for a little bit? Go for a walk, clear your head?"

At his quick nod, Ember hopped up and headed towards the door, James quick on her heels.

They walked the hallway in silence, James occasionally taking a large swallow out of the bottle and passing it to her, where she herself would take a sip. They passed the bottle between each other for a few more minutes, disregarding the fact that they were doing so in plain sight where any teacher or Prefect could catch them in the act, when they reached an alcove hidden away n the corner with a window looking out into the lake.

"You know," Ember spoke, breaking the silence between them and turning to face him, "Maybe you just need a distraction. Find a bird and try to forget about Lily." She paused as a teasing grin stretched across her face. "Give your hand a break for a little while."

James laughed loudly, giving her a light shove, "You're one to talk. When's the last time you were even with someone? Didn't your relationship with Corfield end a while ago?"

Ember chuckled with a shake of her head, "Merlin only knows. It's been _too_ long."

"Tell me about it. I can literally _feel_ the sexual frustration coursing through my body," James admitted shamelessly.

Ember ran a hand through her long hair and sighed, "Looks like we both need some well-needed relief, then. I definitely know _I_ do."

Expecting a laugh but instead only receiving silence, Ember turned to James questionably only to find him already staring back at her with an inquisitive look.

Frowning, Ember gave him a nervous chuckle, "What? Is there something on my face?"

"You know," James began tentatively, ignoring her question, "There is a… _solution_ , let's say, to our predicament."

"And what's that, Mr. Potter? Find ourselves a pair of willing cohorts and use them for our own benefit?"

James took another swig of the bottle, glancing away from her gaze nervously before returning his stare to hers, "Or…"

"Or…what?" Ember asked, confusion coating her words as she tilted her head uncertainly.

With a huff, James gave her a pointed look, eyebrows raised suggestively.

Understanding slowly dawned on Ember, and with a gasp, she pointed to herself, and then to James. "You don't mean…"

"Just think about it!" James quickly inserted, halting her words with a pleading look. "We've known each other since we were kids. We practically _grew up_ together, and we've seen each other naked, no less!"

"When we were, like, 3!" Ember screeched, throwing her hands up.

"Yeah, but it's not like there's ever been anything between us. You're practically one of my best friends, and I _definitely_ don't have any feelings for you," Ignoring her offended huff, he continued, "It would simply be a casual arrangement between two friends in desperate need of… what did you call it? _Relief!_ "

"This is crazy, James!" Ember cried, a nervous jolt swimming through her as she attempted to wrap her head around the sudden proposition, "The fact that you're one of my best friends is _precisely_ why this arrangement could screw things up! You're too important to me to risk that."

James stood up too, leaning forward on slightly wobbly feet and gripping her shoulders between his hands, "We'll be _fine,_ Em. Nothing can come between our friendship – you know that! Come on, doesn't a small part of you see the logic behind it? We're both very aware that this would be entirely casual, we're comfortable around each other, and if I do say so myself, I _am_ quite dashing. And I've heard from many a suitor that I'm not too shabby in bed, either. It's a win-win situation, see?"

Ember rolled her eyes at his final comment but paused for a few moments as everything rushed into her slightly muddled mind, unsure of whether it was due to the copious amount of Firewhiskey she consumed or at the shocking turn of events that just occurred.

James and Ember have, as he said, literally known each other since birth. Their mothers were quite close growing up, their friendship only strengthening after they delivered their children only days apart. Ember has seen James at his absolute best, and very worst, and vice versa. There were many a times when Ember would find herself staying over at the Potter Manor for a couple weeks' time, and there were even a few, albeit rare, moments where they would share a bed (admittedly, when they've had a bit too much to drink while hanging out in James's bedroom and they'd pass out without much thought of the matter).

But Ember knew James was right. They were close enough to not let an arrangement like this ruin what they truly had with one another. They were best friends, simple as that, and while they both found an attraction to the other that they couldn't deny – they _did_ have some good genes running in their families, after all -, there was no chance of any romantic feelings developing between the two. And as much as Ember knew this could be a _colossally_ bad idea, the benefits definitely outweighed the flaws. She needed this just as much as he did, and not just as a coping mechanism, but as an outlet that could quite possibly liberate all of the tension that has been holding her hostage since the attack that occurred towards the end of July which left a deep, aching gap in her heart.

As she mulled over the suggestion for a few moments, going over his reasonings and begrudgingly admitting to herself that it wasn't such a bad idea after all, her shoulders sagged in resignation and met his waiting eyes.

A beat of silence passed before Ember snatched the bottle out of James's hands and took in a long, profound swallow. Coughing slightly as she pulled it away from her lips, she threw all caution to the wind and leaned up quickly, taking James's lips into her own as she pushed him up against the wall.

They snogged heavily for a few moments, fueled by the mixture of Firewhiskey rushing through their system and the adrenaline that seemed to have taken over. Despite the utter weirdness she felt in the first few seconds, an entirely different fire quickly ignited between her legs. Slowing down the ferocious movement of their lips, James gently pulled away and gave her an inquiring look, "So I take it that's a yes?"

"Shut up and fuck me, Potter." Ember whispered huskily as she pulled his head back down to hers and their lips met once again.

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 **END NOTE: Reviews will be GREATLY appreciated. I need to know that people are actually interested in reading the story in order for me to post and write the following chapters. So please leave me a comment, feedback, opinions! The favor will certainly be returned in kind (meaning frequent updates and a riveting storyline!)**

 **Lots of love,**

 **Mar.**


	2. Chapter Two

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of the Harry Potter characters, nor the world itself. I only own the characters I have created.**

* * *

Ember's eyes fluttered open as light shone through the draperies surrounding her bed and Lily's aggravatingly cheerful voice reached her muddled ears, "Wake up, sleepy head!"

A groan escaped her lips as the combination of light and noise seemed to trigger the horrific pounding in her head which Ember knew without a doubt was a result of the abundant amount of alcohol she consumed the night before. Twisting around to glance at the muggle alarm clock the redhead had gifted her nearly three years ago - whilst ignoring said redhead's amused smile as she waited expectantly by her bed - Ember let out a louder groan and pulled her pillow out from underneath her head to chuck it at Lily. "Bloody hell, woman, it's 9 am! Leave me _alone._ "

Lily simply laughed at the expected reaction of her best friend, already _quite_ aware of how grumpy she could be in the mornings, _especially_ after a night of heavy drinking. She's been on the receiving end of the pillow many, many times in the past. It's almost become a morning routine for the two of them. "Merlin, Em, you absolutely _stink_. It's smells like a tavern in here!"

"As if you'd know what a tavern smells like." Ember grumbled as she slowly brought herself up into a seated position, grimacing as her stomach turned at the sudden movement. She reached for the glass of cool water sitting on her bedside table and gulped it all down, hoping it would subside the protest her body was declaring in response to her reckless behaviour the previous night.

Lily huffed indignantly as she spun around to search for something in her trunk, "I _know_ what a tavern smells like!"

"Lily, the only tavern you've been to is the Three Broomsticks, and that _hardly_ constitutes one." Marlene's voice called from the direction of the washroom as she waltzed back in, dressed and ready for the day.

Ember twisted around and set her feet on the ground, stretching her arms up above her to rid of the kinks in her joints. "So why'd you wake me up at ninea.m. on a bloody Saturday, Evans?"

Lily turned to face her with a roll of her eyes as she pulled out a pair of socks, "Well, _Fawley,_ I thought you'd might like to join us for breakfast. We're heading down in a few."

Nodding appreciatively with a smile, Ember stood up, collected her clothes for the day, and began heading towards the washroom when Alice's voice piped up from where she sat on the ground against her bed with a _Witch Weekly_ balanced open on her knees. "So where'd you disappear to last night, Em?"

Ember froze in her steps, her mind immediately recalling the unexpected turn of events after her departure from the party. Her lips against James's, their avid – and admittedly wet – snogging against the wall in an reclusive alcove by the Room of Requirement, and the frantic tearing off of each other's clothes in a desperate need to feel skin against skin. Ember swallowed nervously as her cheeks burned red at the mere memory of their heated tryst, his words still echoing in her recollection when their encounter had ended in euphoric bliss: "This stays between us, yes?"

Forcing a wide smile on her face whilst willing the heat to simmer from her cheeks, Ember spun around quickly and replied, "Oh, just went for a walk with James. He was feeling a bit down so we chatted for a while and, uh, you know – shared a bottle of Firewhiskey in an alcove."

 _Well, at least I didn't lie – only omitted. Better to stick as close to the truth as possible_ , she decided.

Lily's eyebrows shot up as she sat up quickly on her bed where she sat with her closed Transfiguration book lying by her side. Shock and judgement coloured her face. "You drank _in public?_ Are you trying to get yourself expelled?! I _am_ a prefect, you know. I should put you in detention to teach you a lesson."

 _Huh. Maybe I should have omitted that tiny detail too._

"Oh, _relax._ It's not like we were doing it entirely out in the open!" Ember replied quickly, flushing once again at her poorly worded retort that only she truly understood. "And stop threatening me with detentions, Lily. I'm bloody sick of it."

They glared at each other, Lily's previously joyful attitude giving way to a simmering rage.

"Well," Lily began with pursed lips, sitting back and opening her book pointedly as if to show that her final remark would be the end of the conversation, "I've said it before and I'll say it again. James Potter is a horrible influence on you."

Ember felt the familiar warmth of anger at Lily's scathingly critical comment. Despite their strong friendship which overcame many hurdles in the past – most of which revolved around the messy-haired boy in question -, it still irked her just how much Lily objected her closeness with James. She tried to explain it to her on many different occasions, but Lily always chose to turn a blind eye and judge him – and by extension her friendship with him – simply by what she witnessed on school grounds. While Ember acknowledged that James almost always seemed to act on impulse around Lily, seemingly forgetting all of the manners and etiquette that were drilled into him as a child by his parents, Ember also knew that Lily barely, if ever, gave him a chance to redeem himself. Sadly enough, although she considered Lily one of her best friends, she could almost _feel_ the drift that was slowly but surely pulling them apart, and it broke her heart to admit that it was almost entirely the fault of her friendship with James.

"Just drop it, Lily. Merlin, you're such a bitch sometimes." Ember snapped, whirling around and storming into the washroom. She slammed the door behind her for effect, disregarding the loud retort that followed.

Ember took a little bit longer than usual to get ready, knowing that it would annoy Lily to no end. Lily hated waiting – her patience was very short, which Ember liked to use to her advantage sometimes. Yes, it was petty, and yes, it would most certainly escalate the already growing conflict between the two, but Ember's hangover-addled brain refused to care in that moment.

By the time she left the confines of the washroom twenty minutes later, only Alice remained in the dorms. "They couldn't wait any longer so they headed down already. Lily was really hungry." Alice explained meekly as Ember looked around the room with displeasure.

Ember let out a laugh of disbelief as she folded her sleepwear on the bed and pulled her shoes on, "Lily was really _angry_ , you mean." Alice grimaced in response, and Ember felt a twinge of guilt for dragging her in the middle of what was becoming a constant feud. "Sorry, Al, it just… it just really irritates me how much Lily badmouths my friendship with James. I know she hasn't outright said it, but it just feels like she wants me to choose between them and I – I don't want to do that _._ "

Alice nodded understandingly as they headed towards the door and descended the stairs. "Of course. You'd never be able to choose between the two, they're both your best friends and that's an incredibly difficult decision to make."

"That's not true," Ember replied with a shake of her head as the common room came into view. Her heart clenched tightly in her chest at the thought of having to choose between them. And while she hoped it never actually came to that, she knew that it was becoming more likely by the day, and the decision wouldn't be as difficult as Alice assumed. She loved Lily with all her heart, and the years they spent together were absolutely wonderful, but James was her childhood. He was the person she'd experienced nearly every first with; the person who comforted her in times of trouble. He was her home away from home, and her source of laughter when all she wanted to do was cry. But most of all, he was her anchor, and that was more than proven as fact when he kept her afloat despite her desire to drown after her mother's death.

"What do you mean?" Alice questioned, biting her lip with apprehension as though she already knew the answer.

Ember hesitated for a moment and then replied in a quiet but firm voice: "If it came to it, I _would_ choose, and I don't think Lily would be very happy with my decision."

 _It will always be James._

* * *

For many years, the students at Hogwarts were _convinced_ that Ember and James's relationship wasn't entirely platonic. Despite their constant insistence that they were nothing more than friends, the rumours would still swirl, and the curious stares that followed them everywhere would still remain. No one believed them, and that was largely because they never really tried to dissuade it. The way they treated each other alone would fuel the fire, and that was due to the fact that their bond was not lacking in physical warmth. Since both of them grew up in highly affectionate households, they seldom held back any affection with one other. Hugs were always shared, and the occasional peck on the cheek were planted. He would often throw an arm around her shoulder as they ventured from class to class, and she would habitually run her fingers through his hair as they lounged in the common room.

To everyone else, they appeared as lovers. To them, it was simply the way their friendship worked.

While the endless gossip certainly irritated them beyond belief, they never gave it much of their attention, so they allowed them to fester until some other subject emerged. But that was few and far between. The rumours would start off as harmless gossip shared in the lavatories of the girls' washroom, weeks after the last one had died off, but soon – as it often was in Hogwarts – _everyone_ would be talking about it.

Ember sometimes wondered why rumours were never spread about her and the other Marauders, but she knew that was because she never had that close of a relationship with them as she did with James. Yes, they were on very friendly terms, extending from the foundation of her relationship with James himself, but the affection ended there. They rarely if ever showed any physicality with one another, and Ember was okay with that.

Although Ember and James both agreed that their friendship would remain the same in spite of their evolvement the night before, she knew that the moment the news got out, _if_ it ever got out, their bond would be twisted and turned to something it was not, and that could very possibly be the catalyst that breaks them.

As Ember and Alice entered the Great Hall, Ember almost expected every eye in the room to land on her as whispered words were exchanged about what took place last night. She knew that she was being irrational and slightly paranoid, which she would attribute to the incessant gossip she endured over the years, but she couldn't help but feel slightly nervous of the results from last night.

However, no eyes landed on her and no whispered words were exchanged, and Ember sighed in relief as the paranoia faded.

"Oh, I see Marlene and Lily! Let's go sit, I'm _starving._ " Alice exclaimed loudly, interrupting Ember's thoughts and causing her to flinch at her volume.

Ember followed the direction Alice was pointing at and paused in her step, grinding her teeth at the glare directed towards her from a pair of familiar visceral green eyes. Glancing up and down the table, she spotted the Marauders sitting towards the end of the table, far enough away from the deadly stare of Lily Evans, and made her decision. "I think I'm going to sit with the boys, Al. I'm sorry, I just don't really feel like dealing with Lily and her comments right now."

Alice smiled in understanding and quickly made her way towards the other two girls, leaving Ember standing in the middle of the Hall awkwardly.

Ignoring the sudden onset of nerves that seemed to vibrate through her body, Ember slowly strode between the Ravenclaw and Gryffindor tables, watching with apprehension as the boys leaned close together, whispering furtively to each other. She briefly panicked, wondering whether James was sharing the details of last night with his friends, when she caught his eye and he gave her a reassuring smile, inclining his head to the empty seat next to his.

A small smile spread upon her lips. That was James's way of telling her that everything between them was okay, and no matter what happened last night nothing would change.

"Good morning, lads!" She said as she came up behind James and Remus. Using James's shoulder as support, she slowly lowered her tired and aching body to the seat, not wasting any time as she filled up her plate with the essentials to cure a hangover.

A round of pleasantries were returned as Sirius smirked at her from across the table. "Someone's a happy camper this morning. Did you _finally_ get a good shag last night, Fawley?" He wiggled his eyebrows up and down suggestively, barking out a laugh.

Ember immediately froze in her seat and felt James do the same, but shook it off quickly, hoping it went unnoticed by the others. Rolling her eyes at Sirius, she plopped a grape in her mouth. "Don't be ridiculous, Sirius. All the blokes in this school are either absolutely nasty, or just plain annoying. None worth shagging, honestly. _I_ _ncluding you lot._ "

She heard James quietly snigger beside her and held back a laugh of her own, smiling widely instead at Sirius's offended huff.

"Besides," She continued, "I'm not happy. I'm bloody _hungover._ I literally cannot breathe without feeling the urge to vomit."

Peter gagged and gave her a withering look, "Please don't." They were all very aware of Peter's deeply rooted fear of vomit. He suffered from what they called _'sympathy vomiting',_ and unfortunately they all had to witness it first hand in 4th year to believe it when Remus upchucked half of his dinner one night in the common room, only for Peter to follow by the fireplace.

"You should've seen these two when we got up," Remus said, pointing first at Sirius and then at James. "James was whining about his headache for a good hour like a bloody toddler, and Sirius here spent the better half of the morning bent over the toilet seat."

"Hey!" Sirius grumbled, "We agreed that would stay between us!"

"We did no such thing." Remus replied with a mocking grin.

As the two of them proceeded to argue about their supposed agreement, with Peter jumping in occasionally with a quip or two, James leaned into her with a questioning look and whispered, "We good?"

Ember grabbed his hand underneath the table and squeezed, giving him an assuring smile, "We're good."

* * *

By nightfall, the group of five could be found sitting by the fire in the common room in the exact same position they were in following their return from breakfast. They had decided to forgo lunch and dinner in the Hall entirely – due largely to the still persisting hangover some of them suffered – and agreed that one of them would bring down some food from the kitchens when the time came. James, Sirius, and Peter were partaking in a rather lively discussion about the upcoming Quidditch tryouts which James as Gryffindor Captain was holding the following weekend, and Remus broached the topic of their Arithmancy homework due the following day with Ember.

Try as she might, Ember had a difficult time focusing on Remus as he spoke. The OWL posts had arrived not long after Ember had entered the Great Hall for breakfast earlier that morning, but the letter that was delivered to her by her family's owl, Hermes, remained unopened, sitting on the table in front of her, taunting her with its contents.

Although she gave a feeble attempt at maintaining conversation with Remus, her eyes would drift off towards the envelop with illogical worry flooding her mind, her attention wandering more and more frequently as time went on. After the incident over the summer, Ember was almost always worried about one thing or another when it came to her family.

"…but Vector said that we don't need to discuss the properties of – oh _, bloody hell_ , Em. Just open your ruddy letter before your eyes fall out of their sockets."

Ember grimaced and gave Remus an apologetic look which he waved away with a smile. Reaching for the letter, she slowly inhaled, swallowing back the hesitation, and opened it up.

 _Hey sister,_

 _I thought I'd write you to check in. I haven't heard from you in a while and I can't help but worry about how you're doing! But before we get into that, I'll give you some updates on how things are going on our end._

 _It's been quite busy at work these days. With the rise of attacks that have been happening lately, St. Mungos has become a madhouse, and all of the healers have been assigned extra shifts to deal with the sudden onslaught of patients that have been coming in. Suffice it to say that I'm constantly exhausted, I've seen Colin approximately_ _once_ _in the last ten days – which he is incredibly unhappy about, of course, that needy bloke – and I've barely had time to finish planning the wedding which might I remind you is only two months away!_

 _I wish mum were still here. She'd have been more than happy to help me out with that. Knowing her, she's probably had our weddings planned since we were little._

 _On a happier note, Eddie's been doing much better. He no longer cries himself to sleep every night, which makes things slightly easier for me because that means I get more hours of sleep myself. He's smiling a lot more, too. I think he's still a bit too young to understand what's happened, but mum's absence has definitely affected him some. He definitely bounced back quickly, though, and that gives me one less thing to worry about._

 _Mrs. Potter stopped by a few times to check in. She brought a couple of pictures from her and mum's Hogwarts days – you'll have to remind me to show you over Christmas break! Mum was absolutely gorgeous, even back then. You look exactly as she did at your age, it's uncanny. She's tried to sit with dad a few times, but he wouldn't talk much. I think her presence alone helps him feel slightly better, at least. That woman is a blessing, I swear!_

 _Speaking of dad, unfortunately I don't have a lot to share other than what you already know. As much as I want to keep you away from all this so that you could focus on school, I know you'll only worry more so here it goes. His condition hasn't changed much since you last saw him. Yes, Mrs. Potter's visits lifts up his mood, but only slightly. They talk about their Hogwarts days a lot, and while I've seen him smile once or twice, he always withdraws back into himself once she leaves._

 _He's depressed without mum, Em, and I don't really know what to do about it. I've tried everything, but that man does not know how to live in a world without her and it absolutely breaks my heart. A part of me – a selfish part, I know – wishes that he would get it together, if not for himself but for us. It's like he's forgotten that we exist now that mum's gone, and I think Eddie's starting to catch on to that. He's too young to not have both his mother and father, but I'm at a loss of what to do._

 _I'm sorry for being the bearer of bad news, but I thought you'd like to know what's going on at home._

 _How are you doing? I know it was tough for you the last couple of weeks, but I'm hoping that being back in Hogwarts and around James and your friends would lift up your spirits a bit. There's nothing wrong at all with grieving, but I only hope that you're coping better than the rest of us._

 _Please keep in touch, Em. And let me know when your next Hogsmeade visit is scheduled for, maybe I'll drop by for a bite to eat at the Three Broomsticks. Merlin, I miss that place._

 _Lots of love and kisses._

 _Your sister,_

 _Penelope_

Ember finally released the breath she'd been holding since opening the letter, but the weight on her chest that seemed to grow ever more prominent with every word she read did not dissipate. Tears prickled her eyes at the thought of her father, the loving, caring, and funny man she's known all her life, festering in his depression.

He'd taken it the hardest, of course. That's not to say that their children didn't suffer from their loss; but for him, his wife's death was like losing a part of himself. They'd been so in love – even around their children, they would act like there was no one else in the room. Ember always admired their relationship, hoping that one day she may be able to have one of her own that reflected that of her parents, but now the image of the two together seemed to be fading from her memory with each day that passed.

And it hurt. Merlin, it hurt so much.

"Hey Em, you okay?" James called out from his seat, having caught sight of the tight grip she held on the letter and the pinched expression marring her face. Sirius, Remus, and Peter snapped their focus to her.

Glancing up quickly and willing the tears away, she gave him a smile, hoping it would be enough to turn their attention away from her. But they all continued to stare at her with concern, James leaning forward with his eyebrows furrowed.

"Um," She muttered, standing up and folding the letter into her pocket, "I think I'm going to go for a walk, clear my head."

James stood up quickly, his furrowed eyebrows deepening, "You want company?"

Ember shook her head rapidly, waving a hand in dismissal, "No, no, stay here. I want to be alone for a bit."

She turned quickly and beelined for the portrait hole. As the entrance closed behind her, the last thing she heard before she turned the corner was James's troubled voice asking, "What's wrong with her?"

* * *

It could've been minutes, or it could've been hours – Ember didn't know how much time had passed since she escaped the common room, and she definitely knew she was out way past curfew, but she couldn't find it in her to care.

The letter from her sister stirred up a plethora of emotions inside her. Worry, of course, was at the forefront of those emotions. Her father had always been her rock, and now to hear that he was slowly withering away was a bit too much for her to bare.

Ember looked up at the sky, gazing at the surplus of stars that littered the black canvas as she leaned back against the wall in a far off corner in the Astronomy Tower.

While many other people – couples, in particular – typically came up here for less than decent reasons, Ember simply enjoyed the peace and tranquility she found in the breezy tower. She would always journey to this particular spot when she was feeling upset or contemplative. It provided the perfect blend of quiet but noisy. The sounds from the distant village of Hogsmeade would drift up to the tower as the wind howled in the background, the occasional call of an animal mixing in.

Ember absolutely loved this place, and it was without a doubt her favorite spot in Hogwarts.

Unfortunately, James was very aware of that fact because it was not long until he found his way to the secluded spot she often occupied.

She felt his presence before she heard him. He lowered himself down onto the ground beside her, his shoulder brushing up against his, and leaned back.

After a few moments of silence, he reached for bent knee and gave it a squeeze, finally murmuring the words she needed to hear in that very moment: "I'm here."

Slowly, reflexively, Ember turned to face him, and despite the darkness surrounding them James could clearly see the tear tracks on her cheeks. Reaching up, he wiped away the remnants of her sadness, but instead of letting his hand fall away from her face, it remained unmoved.

"I'm _here._ " He repeated with more conviction, staring into her eyes with meaning.

Swallowing the hardness that seemed to be perpetually lodged in her throat, Ember gazed back at him in understanding. With a small inhale, she leaned forward and planted her lips delicately upon his.

This time, their kiss was unhurried. The light pressure placed upon each other did not convey the desperation of both, nor the unrequited feelings of one, nor the vacant loss of another. Last night's frenzied display gave into delicacy, companionship, and warmth.

And as they slowly undressed each other and gave into another moment of well-needed relief, Ember couldn't help but think that, despite both of their insistence, things _had_ in fact changed between them. Not in a romantic sense at all, but in a way that truly solidified the importance they felt for one another.

In that moment, they were stronger than ever.

* * *

 **A/N: Well, here it is! Chapter two. I really enjoyed writing this, and although we're only two chapters in, James and Ember's friendship is really growing on me.**

 **I know right now the story is focusing on the two of them rather than on Sirius and Ember, who are in fact endgame (as I indicated in the relationship section), it is important to show the evolvement from James to Sirius. And rest assured it WILL happen, but not for a while.**

 **Anyway, I hate to seem like I only care about reviews but PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE REVIEW! They literally make my day and make me want to write more and more. The updates will be a lot more frequent, that's for sure.**

 **I'd like to thank the 10 wonderful reviewers I received in the first chapter. And thank you to everyone who favorite/follow the story as well! You're all really appreciated xx**

 **Until next time,**

 **Mar.**


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